Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery procedure that is performed to remove excess fat from beneath the skin. Although liposuction is not a form of weight loss, it is a way to change the shape and contour of your body. When done properly, it is an effective means of removing excess body fat in certain areas.

Even though almost everyone can have liposuction, the best candidates for this body contouring procedure are individuals who are normal or slightly over weight, with firm, elastic skin, have pockets of excess fat in areas of their body, psychologically stable, physically healthy, and people with realistic expectations.

Although age is not a large determining factor for whether you should have liposuction or not, someone who’s skin is not very elastic may have the same problems as someone with tight skin.

Liposuction is an excellent option if you have excess fat protruding from any area of your body. Your surgeon’s goal when performing liposuction procedures is to “create a smooth, even, proportionate distribution of the fat that is left behind, so that treated areas are in balance with adjacent untreated areas.”

The reason liposuction is such an appealing cosmetic procedure to so many people is because it is minimally invasive, it has proven results, and there is a fast recovery time. Also, it can be used on many different areas of the body so that you can get the results that you want. Your cosmetic surgeon will perform your liposuction procedure with your needs and goals in mind, not what is most convenient or easy.

In women, the most common procedures are the removal of excess fat from under the chin, arms, outer thighs, waist, hips, and stomach. Men, on the other hand, tend to have liposuction performed to reduce excess fat in their “love handles,” around the waist, enlarged male breasts, and under the chin.

There are three types of liposuction performed today:

· Traditional Liposuction

· Ultrasonic Liposuction (Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction or UAL)

· Tumescent Liposuction

By: Lynn Fugaro

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Are you tired of sweating on the treadmill and living on celery sticks and brown rice? Do you watch reality TV shows where overweight individuals undergo seemingly magical transformations in under an hour? The popularity of reality TV shows where people undergo liposuction to get rid of those extra pounds have made plastic surgery more mainstream than ever, and why not?

Liposuction seems like a pretty attractive alternative to sweating it out in the gym. Truthfully, successful weight loss remains an elusive goal for millions of individuals, so liposuction appears an increasingly attractive weight loss option. But is it safe? Is liposuction a viable option on the path to weight loss?

Before you can determine whether liposuction is right for you, it helps to learn about the procedure. Liposuction is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures available today. Almost all liposuction procedures are done in a very conservative manner. This means that the amount of fat removed from a patient’s body is generally small.

Although most liposuction procedures do only remove a small amount of fat, many plastic surgeons also practice large volume liposuction. Generally, large volume liposuction procedures are classified as those where over 5,000 cc of fat are removed. Large volume liposuction procedures generally require the patient to remain in the hospital for an overnight stay.

Most liposuction procedures are done under a general anesthetic. In some cases, liposuction procedures can be done under a local anesthetic. This type of sedation is generally reserved for cases where only small amounts of fat are being removed from specific locations.

What are the most common locations that individuals get treated through liposuction? The most common areas treated include the abdomen, buttock region, hips, and upper thighs. Other areas that are treated include the arms, chin, knees, and back, although these areas are not as common.

How does liposuction work, exactly? In most cases, the plastic surgeon uses a small tool called a cannulas. The cannulas is used to break up fat stored in the body while simultaneously suctioning it. The cannulas is designed so that it not only breaks up and suctions fat, but also contours the body so that no irregularities in the skin are left behind.

There are two basic forms of liposuction in use today. These two techniques are referred to as wet or tumescent techniques. The difference between these two techniques mostly involves the number of fluid that is placed in the targeted area before surgery begins. This fluid is used to reduce the amount of trauma and bruising that may affect the underlying tissues as a result of liposuction surgery.

After surgery, post-operative care tends to involve compression to the targeted area. Compression involves stretch garments that must be worn by the patient for up to three to six weeks after the surgery. In this post-operative period, a follow-up with a physician is necessary. Patients are advised to rest, and should not exercise in this period.

Once you have learned more about the procedure, you should decide if liposuction is right for you. First, ask yourself if you are interested in liposuction as a weight loss option. Is liposuction a viable weight loss option? The short answer is no. Liposuction should not be used as a weight loss treatment.

In general, liposuction is a body contour procedure, and should be treated as such. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that targets specific areas that have not responded to traditional weight loss measures. The best candidate for weight loss is someone who is at or very near their target weight, and it is not recommended for those seeking to lose more than ten pounds.

Many times, if you are set on liposuction, your doctor or surgeon may require you to lose weight before undergoing the procedure. Moreover, liposuction does not guarantee permanent weight loss. In order to maintain the final results, patients must follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

Also, although they are rare, complications have been known to result from liposuction surgery. Complications may include infection, puncturing of organs, embolism, swelling, burning, and scarring. If you are still interested in liposuction, make sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your specific concerns.

By: Jason Cox

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With all the improvements in liposuction technology and techniques that have evolved in the past thirty years or so, you can have liposuction done on pretty much any body area.

Originally, in the early 1980s, liposuction was done on the abdomen. To reduce bleeding and remove larger amounts of fat with less discomfort, tumescent liposuction was developed, where large volumes of fluid are first injected. The fluid is a saline solution (salty to match the body’s saltiness) with ingredients to shrink blood vessels and anesthetize the area. Then high-powered suction removed fluid and fat together.

That enabled people to have fatty tissue removed from much of the lower body:

· Abdomen

· Thighs

· Buttocks

· Flanks

A remaining problem was that some body areas have more fibrous fatty tissue which is harder to suction out. Examples are the back, chest and hips. In efforts to solve this problem, ultrasonic liposuction was developed in the early 1990s.

Ultrasound (vibration with sound beyond our hearing range) is used to break the fibrous cell membranes, emulsifying the fat before it is removed by suction. This approach has the added benefits of reduced bleeding and bruising, and smaller incisions because the cannulas used to remove fat are narrower. Ultrasound also helps the skin shrink over the reduced body area.

Ultrasonic liposuction is effectively used for both males and females in:

· ****** reduction

· Love handles

· Fat removal from the upper back

SmartLipo™

SmartLipo, also called laser liposuction, uses a laser to dissolve fat instead of suctioning it out of the body. This is a very different procedure from tumescent or ultrasonic liposuction, although the goal is the same. The targeted area is given local anesthetic and a very small incision is made. The laser is a hand-held device like a pen, inserted beneath the skin and moved so as to target the designated treatment areas. When the laser light is directed to fat cells, they break up instantly. The fatty fluid thus released is naturally excreted by the body’s lymphatic system.

As with all procedures using medical lasers, there is the added benefit that the laser seals the blood vessels, reducing bruising, and reducing bleeding to virtually none. It also tightens the skin’s collagen, causing the skin to shrink more tightly over the reduced body area. This is especially helpful on ****** areas.

Because of the greater precision and subtlety of laser liposuction, smaller body areas can be treated, such as:

· Below the chin

· Face

· Knees

· Waist

· Neck

· Arms

All liposuction procedures are customized. If you are wondering about your own particular areas of excess fat and whether they can be treated with some form of liposuction, the first step would be to schedule a consultation with an experienced cosmetic surgeon.

If you are in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, you could not do better than to see Dr. Richard Linderman. He has been in the vanguard of liposuction improvements since 1982 and was the first cosmetic surgeon to offer liposuction in Indianapolis.

By: Patricia Woloch

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Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery procedure that is performed to remove excess fat from beneath the skin. Although liposuction is not a form of weight loss, it is a way to change the shape and contour of your body. Many people choose Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Vasdev Rai of Dallas, Texas to perform liposuction procedures in order to remove excess fat that is too stubborn for diet and exercise.

Even though almost everyone can have liposuction, the best candidates for this body contouring procedure are individuals who are normal or slightly over weight, with firm, elastic skin, have pockets of excess fat in areas of their body, psychologically stable, physically healthy, and people with realistic expectations.

Although age is not a large determining factor for whether you should have liposuction or not, someone who’s skin is not very elastic may have the same problems as someone with tight skin.

Liposuction is an excellent option if you have excess fat protruding from any area of your body. Dr. Rai’s goal when performing liposuction procedures is to “create a smooth, even, proportionate distribution of the fat that is left behind, so that treated areas are in balance with adjacent untreated areas.”

The reason liposuction is such an appealing cosmetic procedure to so many people is because it is minimally invasive, it has proven results, and there is a fast recovery time. Also, it can be used on many different areas of the body so that you can get the results that you want. Dr. Rai will perform your liposuction procedure with your needs and goals in mind, not what is most convenient or easy.

In women, the most common procedures are the removal of excess fat from under the chin, arms, outer thighs, waist, hips, and stomach. Men, on the other hand, tend to have liposuction performed to reduce excess fat in their “love handles,” around the waist, enlarged male breasts, and under the chin.

Dr. Rai performs three types of liposuction at the Cosmetic Surgical Center in Dallas, Texas. Throughout his 20 years of medical experience, Dr. Rai has performed over 10,000 cosmetic surgeries. Many of those surgeries have been liposuction procedures such as:

· Traditional Liposuction

· Ultrasonic Liposuction (Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction or UAL)

· Tumescent Liposuction

Liposuction is the number one cosmetic surgery procedure in the United States, and is also Dr. Rai’s most popular procedure among his patients.

By: Patricia Woloch

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